


Birds Of a Feather

by Bremmatron33



Category: Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers: Prime
Genre: Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-03
Updated: 2018-04-03
Packaged: 2019-04-17 20:12:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,544
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14196837
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bremmatron33/pseuds/Bremmatron33
Summary: Breakdown and Knock Out land on earth to rear up their little one and get a little more than they expected. When their parents go missing Tracks and Raoul have to find them.





	Birds Of a Feather

Knock Out stared at his comm for the tenth time in the past week. Absolutely none of his contacts had gotten back to him. WHAT WAS WRONG WITH THIS PLANET!

“I know that face, no one answer this week either?” Breakdown couldn’t stand seeing Knock Out like this, knowing full well his anger was just a mask for his worry and discomfort.

“No.” Breakdown sighed, it was his fault they were here and it was his fault they couldn’t leave. He should have never picked earth, an unknown organic planet with little going for it except its metal rich core. There had been dozens of mech filled worlds that they knew plenty more about, plenty of metal rich inorganic worlds where they would be better accepted even if they were aliens. But he had wanted something quiet, something far enough from the war that they could just forget. He had wanted something that their pasts couldn’t catch up to them, so their new spark could be safe. So of course they almost died on the landing, crashed their ship, everything they had except each other up in flames.

“I’m sorry Knocky. We should have just gone to that crystal planet like you wanted. Wasn’t even inhabited. We-we could have done anything and everything we wanted.” Breakdown felt his spark start to flux, they had already been on earth for two months and they had been more worried about how they were going to get off then about what they had actually came there to do!

Knock Out curled his servos tightly again and again, finally wrapping his arms around himself. “It’s fine Breakdown….we’re alive and this place is...well it’s dirt plain and simple but we’ll.. survive. Are you doing alright? We should keep moving towards the signature.”

“I’m doing okay….what are we going to do when we get there? I know we need energon but I don’t expect you to mine.”

“Then…..don’t think of it that way….think of it as excavation….”

That had been their beginnings. Earth, 1960. Stranded, driving from energon mine to energon mine all while their tiny new spark continued to grow in it’s holder’s chest. They eventually settled, learned the ways of the strange new world they had landed on, completed what they had come there to do. 

Breakdown remembered the night Tracks onlined like it was yesterday. They had been sitting in some nowhere place in Colorado watching the stars as they waited for tiny servos to break free from the cocoon. They had planted the tiny spark in the dirt where it rested a few years back and had kept a careful watch on it. Leaving to only go get energon when they needed but always coming right back. They were lucky humans weren’t scavengers. They didn’t have to worry a single cycle about losing their unborn child. 

Tracks’ tiny cocoon had sprouted from the earth in four years time, practically unheard on Cybertron thanks to the cold construction movement. And unlike the dull gray cocoons Cybertron could only produce Tracks’ was brilliant, a silvery white and streaked with color from the mica and gemstones buried deep in the earth he was forged from. Breakdown had remembered Knock Out squealing in delight as he carefully dislodged it from the ground.

“Oh Breakdown! He might actually be forged with colored metal! You can’t understand the dread I was prepared for! Keeping a sparkling touched up is like herding shardcoats!” Knock Out threw his arms around him and they held each other just nuzzling and enjoying each others joy. Breakdown could still remember the way Knock Out’s frame felt with his old alt, taller, more protoform, less bulk. He had loved that alt, mostly because for some reason it kept humans away. 

When Tracks’ finally broke free he was nothing more than a cute colorful lump. A jumble of tangled metal and parts still trying to find their correct place. His high pitched wails just begging to be held and comforted. The two mechs were happy to. Happy to devote all their time and energy into the little spark, happy to starve on almost empty tanks while Tracks was full and pudgy. It was exhausting work and sometimes they weren’t perfect caretakers but Tracks still grew, still prospered on the strange land so far from their own.

As he formed though questions and less fond memories started to come to light. Breakdown had his chest open as the two looked the sleeping sparkling over. Tracks had remarkably come out looking almost identical to Breakdown’s old racing alt which both of them were ecstatic to have but a week later he had also sprouted a pair of slick tiny white wings.

“I just don’t understand! All the past mixed alt couples who’ve done this told me it’s one or the other which is why they chose to have multiple sparks! Why does he have wings?!”

“Maybe his wheels will get smaller once he grows a bit? It’s alright if he’s an aerial, I won’t pitch a fit if you have to go back to bein’ an aerial for a bit to teach him. You did say you miss your wings.”

“I miss my wings like you miss being able to go above 100 it- You know I love my alt.” Breakdown pulled Knock Out close and ran a thumb along the line of his jaw. 

“I know babe. All I’m saying is don’t feel too guilty about it.”

“But he has four wheels, and headlights, the right engine! I-it’s a little different, he’s...a little different but- Do you think he’s a triple changer? I know that happens quite a bit with mixed alts.”

“Could be but you said his T-cogs not right for that and he doesn’t have enough parts.”

“Well maybe he’s just not formed all the way yet! Maybe they just take longer!” 

The longer they waited the quicker they came to accept that Tracks just wasn’t normal. He wasn’t a triple changer but he wasn’t….broken either. He could fly, control the little thrusters in his peds to send him up to circle his creators whenever he felt like terrorizing them but when he transformed they were discreetly tucked away, his tiny frame sleek and perfect for a little speedster. Breakdown felt terrible during those few years, useless as Knock Out leapt to and fro to keep Tracks out of the sky or sped off to catch the sparkling when something caught his attention. 

Humans were also becoming a problem. Once they had been few and far between but as the years wore on the two watched them prosper. Many of their trusted mines were covered up by buildings or places where humans could just go and live, others were suddenly protected and guarded for no reason other than the humans thought they should. It became annoying but Knock Out always had another place to go. 

They quickly found a nice secluded wooded area after a few days on the road. Breakdown quietly set up their subspace trailer as Knock Out stretched for the first time in a week. Tracks flew around him gibbering on about all the animals he had seen while riding in Breakdown’s back seat, and all the other pretty cars he’d seen pass them.

“Dad why aren’t there any other cars like us?” Knock Out felt his processor stall at the question. He knew it would be coming but he hadn’t expected it to be this soon. “Their peds must hurt.”

Knock Out caught Breakdown’s concerned gaze but he waved him off as he pulled Tracks from the air. “Tracks...we told you the cars here are just cars. They can’t transform like we can. Humans here built them. We don’t know why they resemble our alts….if primitively….but humans are the dominant species here.”

“Then why are we here?”

“We came here to forge you.” Knock Out gently booped the small mech on his nose. “ We tried to get off in the past but we couldn’t find any of the right things we needed, then you onlined and we….adapted. I’ve told you hundreds of stories about Cybertron where we’re from...but there are some things you’re not ready for yet. All you need to know is you’re safe here with us and one cycle our family will grow and then after that we’ll leave and hopefully find some friends more like us.” 

“What about friends here? Why don’t we have friends now?”

“Oh! Umm…” Knock Out couldn’t answer the question. Humans were certainly gross biologically speaking and both him and Breakdown didn’t quite like how…still developing their species was as a whole but that didn’t mean there couldn’t be some good ones out there. Mostly they stayed away because they couldn’t take the risk. Tracks looked up at his sire with large bright blue expecting optics. Knock Out didn’t know what else to do but snuggle and tease his child till Tracks was laughing and wriggling in Knock Out’s grip. “You will have to be patient I don’t think that will be happening any time soon.” When he saw the sparklings optics fade he quickly thought of something to add. “But! Who knows?”

Tracks rested for a moment, wrapping his little claws around the lip of Knock Out’s chest plate.“Okay. Can I go find you and dad a surprise?” Knock Out laughed, relieved, as he set Tracks down. 

“Alright but stay, close, on the ground, and watch your wings and if you see a human make sure to stay in your alt until they go away.” Knock Out watched Tracks sprint off into the woods before he turned back to Breakdown.

“You really mean that?” 

“Mean what?” Knock Out wrapped his arms around Breakdown’s middle and rested his chin on the jeep’s spare tire.

“About going for another one. I figured you wouldn’t want to cause Tracks ain’t exactly…..”

“He’s functional, beautiful, and ours. Just because he has…. a unique…. frame doesn’t mean he’s wrong.” Knock Out felt Breakdown’s servos rest over his own. 

“I love you. I love….this. I know how badly you want to be home but-”

“You’re all the home I need. No matter what I say when I’m dirty.” Knock Out felt his world spin for a moment as Breakdown picked him up and slammed him against their trailer, trailing hot, needy kisses all over.

“Primus I’m- You don’t know how it makes me feel to know I’ve kept you happy.”

“Breakdown~”

That night had just been more than their first few good hours alone since Tracks but it was also the night that changed their lives entirely. The sun was starting to set and Tracks hadn’t came back yet….not too worrying the new parents could track their sparkling’s signature like insecticons could energon and Tracks loved to stay out long into the night to sit and watch for earth fauna and stars but it had gotten cloudy and the light drizzle was picking up as thunder rolled in and Breakdown knew that Knock Out would pitch a fit if Tracks stayed out long enough to risk rusting. It wasn’t even likely considering it was the middle of summer but still he had the speedster in such a good mood it would be a shame to lose it thanks to something so small.

As he followed little ped prints and torn up brush he quickly spotted the little mech in his alt just parked in the middle another clearing. A tent had been set up and there was even an empty station wagon parked behind them but no one was around. Breakdown quickly ran up and picked Tracks up before darting back into the woods. “Tracks what do you think you’re doing? That’s a human camp. We gotta go.”

“Dad look they crawled inside.”

“Crawled inside! Inside you? What crawled inside you?!” Breakdown tried not to panic as he looked through the small windows of Tracks’ alt and to his word inside was a tiny human curled up in the back seat. “PRIMUS TRACKS! What did you think you were doing letting it do that?”

“I stayed still and waited for him to leave but he was leaking and wouldn’t stop tugging on my door.” Breakdown could practically hear the tears starting to bubble up in Tracks’ words.

“Hey, hey, it’s ok. It happens. Just transform carefully and pop your chest plates okay.” Tracks did as he was told and Breakdown carefully pulled the human child free. “See all good. No crying alright? You run back to Knock Out and I’ll take them back to where they belong.”

“But-”

“Hush.Go.” Breakdown set Tracks on his peds and pat at his back encouraging him to go before he stepped back into the campground. Slowly the mech made his way to the tent. Finding it strange that the humans inside didn’t even move to check out the noise outside there space. Confused Breakdown dared a peek inside and what he found sent his spark cold. 

Breakdown packed everything up as quick as he could. Not even bothering Knock Out to get out of the trailer he took the longest road he could find and didn’t stop till they were a state away. When things like that happened to humans, more humans alway showed up eventually and they were always upset. They had learned not to stick around. As dawn broke Knock Out stumbled out confused and dizzy. 

“Did you take us somewhere?” Stumbling over he leaned on his Conjunx’s shoulders and comfortingly stroked his metal. 

“I had to.”

“Why what happened?” Sensing Breakdown’s discomfort Knock Out sat and crawled into his husband’s lap. 

Breakdown cracked open his chest and pulled out the tiny child. “This.”

They fought for weeks about the child. Breakdown wanting to keep it knowing full well Tracks needed something to connect to besides them and that they just weren’t ready for another sparkling so soon. Knock Out said it couldn’t happen. They couldn’t take care of such a finicky pet and it would only run away or die before Tracks knew it. In the end they tried returning it. Leaving it outside police stations or hospitals but they always came back for it and Raoul always chose to stay.

As the years faded by the small strange band quickly grew used to their strange life. Using experimental holoform tech picked up from the few other “out of towners” and old universal habits they had long since used to get money when they needed it they managed to keep Raoul fed and healthy. Together he grew up with Tracks albeit much quicker. As expected Tracks easily grew attached to his new brother but then so did Breakdown and Knock Out enough to even label the human as such. Still despite Raoul’s own attachment to his new family it quickly became obvious for him things wouldn’t work out forever.

At fifteen Raoul remembered the small family had stopped and set up in a small private cabin where the land was rich in metals and minerals. Tracks needed to go through his second hatching so they had needed something more permanent. Somewhere they could stay and where Raoul could spread out a bit. Breakdown had left to mine energon leaving Knock Out to take care of Raoul and to watch over Tracks. Knock Out didn’t mind, like his conjunx he truly had grown fond of his holo-avatar and no longer held a grudge when he was forced to use it. Even when it was for mundane things like sewing Raoul new clothes.

Raoul remembered sitting by his father’s side and watching him work, enjoying the quiet as Knock Out sewed, enjoying the claw like servo that slowly trailed through his hair now and again. He remembered the way his father looked that season, long bright unnaturally red hair pinned up out of his way, perfect sun tanned skin and done up face not even bothered by the summer heat; Knock Out loved the more feminine summer fashions so he always changed his avatar to match. Raoul liked how they changed, enjoyed all of both his and Breakdown’s avatars. They were always beautiful no matter what. Alien and fantastical. Absolutely perfect even when Breakdown chose more humble worn ones. At the time Raoul didn’t even want to think about how much he loved Tracks’ guises. They all made him feel ugly. With his sun stained skin pocked with acne, greasy black hair so thick and long that it puffed out like a mane, and dull dark brown eyes. His parents never mentioned it. Tracks adored it. But it still stung. Raoul’s humanity stung and it was more than just his appearance.

He had gotten sick that winter and luckily after months living in their trailer and months of Knock Out’s half baked human medical knowledge he had managed to pull through but even though the sickness left, a fear hadn’t. None of his family ever got sick besides him. Sometimes their energon would go thin and sometimes they’ed have a problem with their engines but it was never a big deal. It never hurt or felt as depressing as that winter had. And as much as he tried to accept it, knowing full well he wasn’t like them, he couldn’t.

“Honestly I just don’t know why the ones at the stores are so expensive, they’re so ugly and they don’t even fit right half the time! Nothing can be easy in my life it seems.”

“I don’t think they expect a fifteen year old to be as fit as me ya know?”

“Well why not! You’re in perfect health and form! I’ve made sure you always were.” 

“Yeah, and look what still happens.” Knock Out froze at his sewing machine and looked down at Raoul. He had trained himself to feel the humans pitiful excuse for an em field and even for how shoddy it was Knock Out knew Raoul was in pain. He slipped from his chair and pulled the boy close. 

“Raoul don’t do this to yourself….you know I can’t” Knock Out could feel Raoul’s warm tears as they fell on his skin. His child’s sorrow burned his spark.

“Tracks doesn’t even look like you two yet but in another couple of decades I might as well be dead. I don- I ca- I wanna stay with you. I wanna live with you! Bu-” Raoul remembered his throat growing prickly as his words failed him. He remembered sobbing like an idiot as if there was anything Knock Out could do for him. “What am I gonna do when I’m grown up? I don’t know anything but you guys. I’ve never wanted anything else. I can’t just run around the world with you forever!”

Knock Out felt something primal in him spike through his spark. “WHO SAYS! You’re ours! We raised you and you can live as you like! I can teach you how to survive like we do. It’s not hard it’s just….not entirely legal but when have we ever given a single fuck about their rules!”

“It won’t work! I’m just gonna get old and die on ya! Why did you even bother saving me, why-” Raoul hadn’t expected Knock Out to slap him but he was glad he did. Glad to have his father’s tight comforting embrace, his echoing spark pulse so close, his long comforting claws running through his hair. Raoul knew it had been selfish to bring it up, knowing there was nothing either Breakdown or Knock Out could do with human science being what it was but he didn’t care. He wanted to know, NEEDED to know that he wasn’t going to just get left to rot.

“Hush! Don’t ever say anything like that again! You’re not like the others you’re OURS! You’re ours.”

Despite doing all he could Raoul fell into a depressive spell after that. With Tracks still safely tucked in his cocoon Knock Out had nothing but free time. And though the years of domestic life had made his skills shabby all it took was determination and a few home made satellites to get up to speed with the universe again. Knock Out chocked it up his Decepticon conditioning, three long years without his husband by his side, and how sickly Raoul was getting but something had turned him back to his old notes, Shockwave’s manuscripts, multitudes of experimental research, and some now more disturbing exotic pet forums. It only took him three years to come up with a solution. Raoul agreed to it in an instant. Knock Out warned him of the risks but he didn’t care. The mech forced himself not to, he would give his child anything to make him happy again. 

The surgery had been touch and go, the recovery the same but twice as painful, but the day that Raoul remembered Knock Out being the most nerve wracked was the day he had grown healthy again, he remembered taking a pocket knife to his arm just to show Knock Out the way it slowly wove back together. He laughed when Knock Out scolded him but didn’t do it again. Until Breakdown returned home. 

His new optics were still warm brown instead of a bright blue, gold or red, his hair was still thick and unruly like some strange furry mane, and his skin was still pockmarked with scars but….he learned to not hate those things. Because now they were reminders of what he had been, what he had escaped. Just like the few chips and marks Breakdown kept, or the morbidly alluring stain Knock Out left on his optics. They were marks of life a life Raoul was excited to keep living.

With his new gift the years started to go by like they did for rest of his family, days merged into weeks, months into years. Years to decades. Raoul never aged another day. At least it didn’t feel or look like it but Knock Out was always there to remind him he still wasn’t indestructible or ageless...but then again none of them were. 

Happy and safe with their avatars Breakdown and Knock Out grew content with life in their cabin. Prudent and charming as ever Knock Out managed to buy the comfortable familiar home and its surrounding land for cheap in return for his growing organic medical expertise. Aging and lonely the old woman who owned the property was happy just to have company and someone to take her for walks in exchange. With stability and a steady income from what jobs they could pick up the two older mechs lived and worked as humans while with a few well forged documents from their “Out of towner” friends they sent Tracks and Raoul off to school. It was the life Knock Out and Breakdown had always dreamed of….even if it wasn’t how they dreamed it going. 

And though things were perfect for quite some time…. they couldn’t stay that way. As Tracks parked in the newly built garage next to his creators empty forms and switched to his holo form to follow his brother inside he was quickly stopped. Raoul was ducked down by the window listening through the screen door. Their parents were frantic, speaking in hushed tones. Breakdown noticed them a few moments later. 

“What’d’ya think you two are sneaky? Get inside and do your homework!” 

“Gula~!” 

“Don’t you gula me. This is between me and Knock Out!” Tracks and Raoul fought against their father’s hold but both of them were easily carted off to their room before they could get anything out of the conversation.

“I swear I don’t know how you can sneak up on them but I can’t!” 

“I’m just sneakier than you. Face it bro.” Tracks rolled his eyes as he settled down on the floor.”

“What do you think they’re fighting about?”

“Forging another spark maybe? Dad’s wanted it since a few years ago.

“Do you think Father doesn’t want to? I don’t really know how badly I want another sibling.”

“Maybe they’re thinking of leaving? Or like starting. That was the plan after all. Dad really likes it here but K.O. talks about leaving all the time.

“Father does miss traveling. They’ve been all over earth I can imagine he might want to start rebuilding a ship now that they have the means.” The two pondered for hours, getting little done but hype themselves up for the chance to leave earth. The two loved their home but there was something so...mystical and nostalgic about the idea of leaving and going to where their parents had come from. 

The next day before they left for school they both received lengthy embarrassing hugs from both their parents. They couldn’t guess why at the time but later that day they wished they had held on longer. When they came home from their afternoon classes they found the cabin empty. Only a note from their dad telling them that the garage was stocked with energon and if it ran out before him and Knock Out returned that they should take care of each other and find the emergency frequency he’d written. 

The energon did eventually run out half a year later and with no sign or signal from their parents the two spent what little energy they had left preparing for their trip. 

“We don’t have to go you know Raoul, we can stay here! I’m just as strong as dad I can mine for the both of us.” 

“Yeah and what happens when the emergency mine dries up?”

“We can do what they did! Go and come back! We don’t have to play their games, we can survive on our own. They’ll give up and come home eventually.”

“I don’t think this is a game Tracks. K.O. was terrified. Have you ever seen our father that scared?” He hadn’t. Breakdown had been no better. If this had something to do with his creators’ pasts who knew what could have happened to them.

“We don’t know what we could be running into!”

“Dad wouldn’t lead us down a dangerous road. Do you have idea who this Bulkhead is?”

Tracks sighed as he continued to pack fuel into his own trunk. “Just that he’s an old acquaintance that dad had a falling out with. I guess he wanted to make nice a long time ago but couldn’t risk bringing up the past.”

“Do you know what this is?” Raoul pulled something from his pocket and handed it off to his brother. “I found it under my bed. Knock Out must have slipped it under my pillow before he left, the note around it said to give it to you if you needed it. He made one for me too but they don’t look the same.” Raoul pulled a pendant from his shirt. It was a strange silver blue smoke filled orb with five bright rings around it. Tracks looked over the fairly large red hood ornament in his own hands.

“Not a clue.”

“Well...guess we’re gonna find out. Let’s finish and hit the road before the storm rolls in.”


End file.
